Beardo the Bearded writes: It's Episode I, Han shot first, and Luke's last name was Starkiller. An article over at the CBC reveals that a copy of the original Star Wars script from 1976 has just been discovered by a librarian who has spent the last four months digitizing their archives.

From TFA: "Deep in the archives of the University of New Brunswick's library in Saint John, a famous movie script sat forgotten and collecting dust. It tells the tales of a galaxy far, far away — and no one knows how it got there.

Since February, Kristian Brown, a librarian, has been sifting through the library's extensive science fiction collection."

FTA: "The decision overturns a lower court ruling against Telus that required the company to hand over copies of two of its customers' text messages after it was served with a general warrant by police in Owen Sound, Ontario.

Telus had appealed the ruling. The phone provider argued that seizing the messages would constitute "interception" of the communication and would therefore require a wiretap warrant. That is more difficult to get than a general warrant, because of special privacy provisions in the Criminal Code protecting private communications."

I have to get a new MP3 player. For years I've been using a Sony Walkman after winning one at work. I used it every day to block out the cubicle sounds, especially the humming of the fans. (I have noise-blocking earbuds.) It saw frequent use it at the gym. I also used it when biking, so an external speaker is critical. Last week it got wet and despite my best efforts (I'm an Electrical Engineer) it did not survive.

Sony's... well, we all know what Sony's been up to lately. You also had to use Windows Media Player to make playlists — Rythmbox, Banshee, and other Ubuntu players couldn't create the propietary format. I could drag-and-drop music but that was it.

It seems like all the brick-and-mortar retailers carry are iPods and some junky low-end disposable models that barely passed quality control. I had to return a Polaroid player because it was unusable.

I've had bad luck with Archos products as well, with a battery on my Archos 7 dying after about 6 months. It doesn't have to be an all-singing, all-dancing pony. I want music. I don't have a cell phone, nor do I plan on spending several thousand dollars over the next three years to get an MP3-capable cell. In fact, because of the rules at work, it shouldn't have a camera in it. Nor will I be able to use any streaming audio features at work.

What players would you recommend? It's got to be something that's rugged enough to take a fall, has an external speaker for biking, and work under Ubuntu. Cost is a secondary concern, my main goal is to have a nice machine that does its job well.

Beardo the Bearded writes: For the third time, the Canadian Government is bringing forward new copyright legislation. While generally balanced and creating a differentiation between personal and commercial copyright violaters, there is a catch. The proposed law would create $5000 penalties for breaking any digital locks. ANY locks. That means unskippable commercials on Blu-Ray players and broadcast / delete flags on TV transmissions. Even attempts to circumvent the locks are violations, and that means Sony gets to install rootkits on your... er, their computer, and your cable provider gets to disable your PVR that you bought and paid for. These locks over-ride any other rights that consumers would have under the new Act.

This would have the side effect of outlawing any operating system that includes region-free players, or even watching imported movies that are impossible to obtain in Canada.

This ignores the wishes of the Canadians who participated in the lengthy consultations; we said that the locks would be too restrictive.

The operator of the dive shop has filed suit against the owner of the board in an attempt to discourage discussion about the bad air, the fatality, and the conditions of the dive operation. Part of the issue is that the operator closed ship and moved to another company in January of 2010. The posters on scubaboard found that it was the same person and started warning divers against using the new company altogether.

Is it possible or reasonable to hold public forums accountable for the posts of its users?